Digital Commons at Penn State

The iTunes U Dashboard is a web-based application (navigated via your web browser) and is primarily used by faculty to create new podcasts. Once a podcast is setup, you must use iTunes U (within the iTunes application) to upload files and customize your podcast. If you have podcasts setup already, you can click on them in the Dashboard to edit them in iTunes U.

1) To get started click on the New Podcast link on the main page of your iTunes U dashboard.

iTunes U only accepts files for upload that are less than 500 megabytes (MB). Audio files must be either AAC or MP3 with appropriate file extensions (.m4a, .mp3). To use specific cover artwork with an audio track, use the AAC file type format (.m4a). Video files must be MPEG-4 with H.264 compression with appropriate file extensions (.mp4, .m4v, .mov). If you are using QuickTime to create and edit video content, export your videos by choosing Movie to iPod from the Export pop-up menu in QuickTime Pro.

Double-clicking on tracks in iTunesU opens a preview of that track. Usually this works ok for audio or short video files because your computer can grab enough of the file to start playing properly. But with enhanced podcasts (mp3 files that contain synchronized slides or pictures) or large video files, the entire file needs to be downloaded first. If you Subscibe or Get Track and wait for the file to download, it should play without any problems.

Yes. Everything in iTunesU (Welcome Pages, courses, shows, tracks, tabs) has its own URL. Just right-click (Mac users control-click) on any item you want to link to, and you will see a menu that says "Copy iTunes Store URL". Once you copy the URL you can paste it into ANGEL, an email, etc.

First, make sure you have iTunes installed. This is a free application.

If you're using Firefox, sometimes the browser forgets how to handle iTunes links. Try the following:

Launch Firefox
In the URL location box type about:config" and tap the return key.
You will get a long list in the "filter" box type itms and tap the return key.
The list will be left with 1-2 things control/click OR right click on each item and choose RESET
Quit Firefox

Next, launch Firefox again and type the following in the URL "location box." itmss://deimos.apple.com/
Hit return. A drop down menu should appear. Check the box for "Remember my choice for all links of this type" and click on "Launch Application." iTunes will/should launch.

First, make sure you have iTunes installed. This is a free application.

Then browse to http://itunes.psu.edu and click on the "Open Penn State on iTunesU" button.

Since iTunesU exists within the iTunes application, your browser must be instructed to launch iTunes and open the correct URL for Penn State's content.

For more information, see: http://digitalcommons.psu.edu/node/3432